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Vinyl top installation yes or no? Pros and cons?

A

AlexUSMC0311

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I am currently having a 69 charger restored and as it was originally a vinyl top car, all the holes for the trim are there. I have had many people however tell me though that they rust very fast and are more trouble than they are worth. What are some pros and cons of vinyl tops and are they worth having them installed?, or should I just have the holes filled and painted over. the car is going to be burnt orange with saddle tan interior.
 
So my contention to that argument is yes they rusted out....when they were daily drivers subjected to many miles and many years spent out in the elements.
Is your car going to be a daily driver exposed to that same kind of environment? Make sure it's installed correctly & I don't see a problem.
I love vinyl on these cars, it just makes them look right IMHO...I'm going to have one on my Coronet.
 
Put the top back on, I put a new vinyl on my 68 road runner myself, was not hard to do was easier to do with the glass out. had to replace a bunch of the trim molding clips. good razor, heat gun, tape measure, 3M weather strip adhesive in the can. one replacement vinyl top from year one.
19-Picture 371.JPG
 
What caused rust is the trapped water. If the vinyl has no rips AND the car is allowed to fully dry if water ever does get in there, I see no problem with them...except that I like these cars with painted roofs instead!
Good luck.
 
Are your friends confusing Mopars with GM's.....Back in the day GM's had no paint underneath the vinyl tops and it destroyed those cars.....Mopar had the brains to apply paint on every top via primer.....

Are you driving it daily? With todays proper prep you will never have a problem...
 
I like the vinyl top -as you can see by my avatar I have an original on my 68 GTX. It’s 50 years old and never been exposed to the elements since I’ve owned the car - 47years - It’s still in near perfect condition. I think with the right colors a vinyl top gives the car a more distinctive look. Go for it!
 
MOPOWER871 said:
Put the top back on, I put a new vinyl on my 68 road runner myself, was not hard to do was easier to do with the glass out. had to replace a bunch of the trim molding clips. good razor, heat gun, tape measure, 3M weather strip adhesive in the can. one replacement vinyl top from year one.View attachment 624511
Click to expand...
We have had a discussion about trim molding and clips. Do your clips hold the rear window moldings on OK? Did you have to modify them? Where did you get them and do you have a part number? On my 68, I have to take the rear window back out , because the new clips would not hold the trim......................MO
 
moparnation74 said:
Are your friends confusing Mopars with GM's.....Back in the day GM's had no paint underneath the vinyl tops and it destroyed those cars.....Mopar had the brains to apply paint on every top via primer.....

Are you driving it daily? With todays proper prep you will never have a problem...
Click to expand...
Use epoxy primer under that vinyl roof. I think the V.R. looks very classy and period correct. . I put one on my 68 Satty which did not have one originally.....................MO
 
If Resto and kept in climate controlled garage, Yes.

If it's a driver kept in non controlled climate, No.
 
Cornpatch MO said:
We have had a discussion about trim molding and clips. Do your clips hold the rear window moldings on OK? Did you have to modify them? Where did you get them and do you have a part number? On my 68, I have to take the rear window back out , because the new clips would not hold the trim......................MO
Click to expand...
got mine from 521 restoration.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mopar-Rear...299559?hash=item43f744f1e7:g:SDIAAOSw-CpYAX5J
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mopar-Fron...Charger-GTX-SuperBee-RoadRunner-/290926039221
 
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You properly prep and refinishing the whole roof before you apply the top you will be fine. Plus limited exposure to elements it will be great looking .
 
Corn,is it that the clip seams to low? how thick was the sealant used to set the rear window in, was it a ribbon or goop out of a squeeze gun? is it possible the window is sitting a little high because of the sealant.
most of my original one's were intact but replaced them all for good measure.it was a pain in the *** to get the lower corners to settle down had to tweak a few to put more clamping power on the trim (bend the tab).Good Luck
 
MOPOWER871 said:
Corn,is it that the clip seams to low? how thick was the sealant used to set the rear window in, was it a ribbon or goop out of a squeeze gun? is it possible the window is sitting a little high because of the sealant.
most of my original one's were intact but replaced them all for good measure.it was a pain in the *** to get the lower corners to settle down had to tweak a few to put more clamping power on the trim (bend the tab).Good Luck
Click to expand...
All you mention , has been covered. It appears that the little "tit" that the edge of the trim snaps over and holds it down, does not protrude enough. There has been a lot of discussion lately about this problem on this forum. One guy took a punch and bent that 'tit" out a little more. I was looking for a source that has clips like the factory used. It appears that all the aftermarket clips are from the same manufacturer, and most do not hold the trim well......................MO
 
Probably all from China, spring steel has tempering to spring back against the moulding. I had hood insulation clips that would not hold they just bent back and would not spring open in the hole like the original made in the civilized world would. Lacking proper clips using urethane sealant under clip and taping them back in place is how alot are done for lack of better clips.
 
Not to sound stupid but is there a difference in the trim for vinyl topped cars vs a painted top?
As far as oe grade clips maybe @moparnation74 can chime in, his parts were as close to day 1 stuff Ive ever seen...
 
If you want to be period correct if the car came with a V-top that's a priority. While I think they are neat when looking nice...if it were me I'd go with a painted top. Well you know what Clint said about "opinions"...
 
I put the vinyl top back on my 69 Dart 340 swinger. It's black, and the car is b5. So my vote in general is to put a vinyl top back on, I'm not sure it would look good with your color choices. That's not saying I don't like those colors.
 
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